For her album Austrian Rhapsody, Johanna Beisteiner selected guitar music by composers from her homeland Austria.
During the time of Biedermeier the guitar was a popular instrument not only for accompaniment and chamber music, but was used as a solo instrument, too. The guitarist and composer Johann Kaspar Mertz, born in Pressburg (Bratislava) and later living in Vienna, left several original compositions for guitar as well as arrangements of songs by his contemporary, Franz Schubert.
Schubert’s friend Anton Diabelli – more known as a pianist, composer and publisher – also wrote pieces for guitar solo, inter alia, Three Sonatas op. 29. On this recording you can hear the rarely performed Sonata in C Major.
My first own composition, Zemlinsky’s Night, was inspired by themes from songs by Alexander von Zemlinsky (1871 – 1942): The moon has come to complain and Blue little star from Walzergesänge op. 6 and At Midnight op. 2. Since 2012 is Zemlinsky’s 70th year of death, Johanna wanted to remind the listener of this great Austrian composer
Format: CD
Number of discs: 1
Release date: 2012
Tracklist:
Franz SCHUBERT (1797–1828) / arr. Johann K. MERTZ (1806–1856)
from “Swan Song” D.957:
Liebesbotschaft (Message of love)
Ständchen (Serenade)
Das Fischermädchen (The Fishermaiden)
from Songs D.711:
Lob der Tränen (In Praise of Tears)
from “Winter Journey” D.911:
Die Post
Anton DIABELLI (1781–1858)
Sonata in C Major op. 29/1
I. Allegro
II. Andante cantabile
III. Menuett
IV. Rondo (Allegretto)
Johanna BEISTEINER (*1976)
Zemlinsky‘s Night
(World premiere recording)
Extras:
Video clip to music by Franz SCHUBERT
Ständchen (Serenade) from “Swan Song” D.957